Protective Covering System for a Swimming Pool

ABSTRACT

A protective covering system for a swimming pool provides enhanced protection to a bottom wall of a swimming pool. The system includes a flexible liner configured for abutting an interior surface of a swimming pool. A panel is provided having a first surface, a second surface and a perimeter edge coupled to and extending between the first surface and the second surface. The second surface of the panel is coupled to and covers an outer surface of the liner wherein overlapping sections of the panel and the liner define a puncture-resistant cover for protecting the interior surface of the swimming pool against damage.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE Field of the Disclosure

The disclosure relates to protective covering systems and more particularly pertains to a new protective covering system for providing enhanced protection to a bottom wall of a swimming pool.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a flexible liner configured for abutting an interior surface of a swimming pool. A panel is provided having a first surface, a second surface and a perimeter edge coupled to and extending between the first surface and the second surface. The second surface of the panel is coupled to and covers an outer surface of the liner wherein overlapping sections of the panel and the liner define a puncture-resistant cover for protecting the interior surface of the swimming pool against damage.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top front side perspective view of a protective covering system for a swimming pool according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a top front side perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure in use.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the disclosure similar to FIG. 5, except that FIG. 6 shows the system being used for an underground swimming pool.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 6 thereof, a new protective covering system embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6, the protective covering system for a swimming pool 10 generally comprises a flexible liner 12 configured for abutting an interior surface 14 of a swimming pool 16. Both the liner 12 and the swimming pool 16 are conventional. The liner 12 has a bottom section 18 configured for abutting a bottom wall 20 of the swimming pool 16 to protect the bottom wall 20 of the swimming pool 16 against damage. The liner 12 also has a perimeter section 22 coupled to and extending upwardly from the bottom section 18. The perimeter section 22 is configured for abutting a peripheral wall 24 of the swimming pool 16 to protect the peripheral wall 24 of the swimming pool 16 against damage. The perimeter section 22 is secured to the swimming pool 16 in a conventional manner, such as, for example, with coping or clothespins. The liner 12 is comprised of a waterproof material, such as vinyl or the like.

A panel 26 is provided having a first surface 28, a second surface 30 and a perimeter edge 32 coupled to and extending between the first surface 28 and the second surface 30. The panel 26 is also constructed from a waterproof material, such as vinyl or the like. The second surface 30 of the panel 26 is coupled to the liner 12. In particular, an adhesive 44 is positioned on the second surface 30 of the panel 26 for removably coupling the panel 26 to the liner 12. The first surface 28 of the panel 26 has a plurality of perforations 38 positioned therein to prevent air from accumulating between the liner 12 and the panel 26. Indicia 40, such as logos or the like, may be positioned on the first surface 28 of the panel 26.

The panel 26 covers an outer surface 34 of the liner 12 wherein overlapping sections of the panel 26 and the liner 12 define a puncture-resistant cover 36 for protecting the interior surface 14 of the swimming pool 16 against damage. Because the puncture-resistant cover 36 comprises both the panel 26 and the liner 12, the puncture-resistant cover 36 is also made of the same waterproof material as both of the liner 12 and the panel 26. However, the puncture-resistant cover 36 is stronger than either of the liner 12 and panel 26 since the puncture-resistant cover 36 comprises a combination of the liner 12 and the panel 26 and therefore provides double-walled protection to the bottom wall 20 of the swimming pool 16 as opposed to a single wall of protection if just the liner 12 were used. The panel 26 may cover an entirety of the outer surface 34 of the bottom section 18 of the liner 12. The panel 26 may also cover an entirety of the outer surface 34 of the perimeter section 22 of the liner 12 so that the entire outer surface 34 of the liner 12 is protected against damage. The perimeter edge 32 may be annular or may have any other suitable shape to accommodate and cover an entirety of the bottom wall 20 of the swimming pool 16.

In use, the liner 12 is attached to a swimming pool 16 in a conventional manner such that the liner 12 covers the interior surface 14 of each of the bottom wall 20 and the peripheral wall 24 of the swimming pool 16. The swimming pool 16 must be drained before attaching the liner 12 thereto. The panel 26 is then attached to the outer surface 34 of the liner 12 using adhesive 44. The panel 26 covers the bottom section 18 of the liner 12 to provide reinforcement to the liner 12 and enhanced protection to the bottom wall 20 of the swimming pool 16. The liner 12 and the panel 26 can be used with a swimming pool 16 that is positioned either above or below a ground surface 46, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, respectively.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements. 

I claim:
 1. A protective covering system for a swimming pool comprising: a flexible liner configured for abutting an interior surface of a swimming pool; and a panel having a first surface, a second surface and a perimeter edge coupled to and extending between said first surface and said second surface, said second surface of said panel being coupled to and covering an outer surface of said liner wherein overlapping sections of said panel and said liner define a puncture-resistant cover for protecting the interior surface of the swimming pool against damage.
 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive positioned on said second surface of said panel for removably coupling said panel to said liner.
 3. The system of claim 1, further comprising wherein said first surface of said panel has a plurality of perforations positioned therein to prevent air from accumulating between said liner and said panel.
 4. The system of claim 1, further comprising wherein each of said liner and said panel is comprised of a waterproof material.
 5. The system of claim 1, further comprising wherein said liner has a bottom section configured for abutting a bottom wall of the swimming pool to protect the bottom wall of the swimming pool against damage, said panel covering an entirety of said outer surface of said bottom section of said liner.
 6. The system of claim 1, further comprising indicia being positioned on said first surface of said panel.
 7. A protective covering system for a swimming pool comprising: a flexible liner configured for abutting an interior surface of a swimming pool, said liner having a bottom section configured for abutting a bottom wall of the swimming pool to protect the bottom wall of the swimming pool against damage; a panel having a first surface, a second surface and a perimeter edge coupled to and extending between said first surface and said second surface, said second surface of said panel being coupled to and covering an outer surface of said liner wherein overlapping sections of said panel and said liner define a puncture-resistant cover for protecting the interior surface of the swimming pool against damage, said first surface of said panel having a plurality of perforations positioned therein to prevent air from accumulating between said liner and said panel, said panel covering an entirety of said outer surface of said bottom section of said liner, said perimeter edge being annular; indicia being positioned on said first surface of said panel; each of said liner and said panel being comprised of a waterproof material; and an adhesive positioned on said second surface of said panel for removably coupling said panel to said liner. 